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Dakar 2010: JMB Stradale continues to advance on SS8.

After 24 hours of rest, the Dakar 2010 competitors once again started the adventure by racing 568 km from Antofagasta to Copiapo in Chile. The JMB Stradale Off Road team have placed 6th, 7th, 11th, 14th, and 15th on this 8th stage. It did not take the competitors a long time to get back into the rhythm of the race after 24 hours of rest.

Orly Terranova and Pascal Maimon came in from the day’s stage in 6th position bringing them up to 11th place in the general ranking behind the leader of the race, Carlos Sainz. "It was a good day", explained Pascal Maimon or "Mimoune" as his friends often call him. "The navigation was not easy and we didn’t drive in the dunes. We drove through a small track where I navigated following the cap and it worked!! That’s my little secret of the day. We punctured 3 times out of which 2 where slow flats….for these two we had to stop only a small bit to blow the tires back up. We were able to avoid changing the tires twice this way.

Carlos Sousa and Matthieu Baumel came in just behind Terranova, coming in 7th and maintaining the same position in the general ranking. "In the beginning, we were in the rhythm until the head cars drove by like bullets", explains the Portuguese driver with a big smile. "On the other hand, we did not puncture today therefore we’ve done well. Unfortunately, our engine power is our handicap and the ASO regulations do not permit for us to seriously be contenders against the lead cars.

Very consistent, the crew Guilherme Spinelli and Filipe Palmeiro obtain 11th place of the day and are 11th in the general ranking. "We had a fast puncture at the beginning of the race", comments the Brazilian driver, nicknamed Guiga. "Then at the end of the timed stage, in the dunes, we got stuck and this broke the rear drive. It was tricky to get out of the sand, but we made it!"

The French duo, Nicolas Misslin and Jean-Michel Polato arrived 14th of the day and maintain their 15th place in the general ranking. "We had two flats as of km 150 so I had to slow down" states the JMB Stradale Off Road President and driver". "We then got lost in the dunes and it was hard to find the last waypoint! In the end we got stuck in the sand where we lost over 30 minutes. Another day with small mishaps yet we’ve managed to finish the stage.

The Portuguese duo of the JMB Stradale Off Road team, Miguel Barbosa and Miguel Ramalho came in 15th of the stage and maintain their 13th place in the general ranking. "We had two flat tires" explains Miguel Barbosa. "And then in the middle of race, the starter wouldn’t work but fortunately another competitor helped us and the problem did not come back. Maybe it was due to the sand?"